Firearm Sighting Assembly

ABSTRACT

The present invention is an attachment for a firearm that allows an observer to assist a shooter in acquiring a target. Specifically, the firearm includes a scope or an iron sight. The attachment includes a body that can be attached to the firearm with a scope ring; the body includes a base and a top portion arranged so that the attachment can extend at about a 45 degree angle from the firearm yet hold a scope or other attachment level with horizontal and off-set from the firearm&#39;s sighting device. Once sighted in, the observer may use the scope mounted on the attachment to view exactly the same field as the firearm user sees through the firearm&#39;s sighting device, for the purpose of assisting the shooter.

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application is a continuation-in-part of and claims priority to utility patent application Ser. No. 61/717,586 filed Oct. 23, 2012.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to shooting aids in general and, more specifically, to firearm sighting assemblies and methods for use.

BACKGROUND

Generally, a firearm is equipped with an aid to the shooter for accurately aiming the weapon at the target. Often the weapon is equipped with an “iron sight” which is simply a small plate with a cut or “v” in its upper edge and oriented perpendicular to the direction of travel of the round. The user adjusts the weapon so that he sees the target through the “v” and then shoots. Iron sights are simple, and quick to use. They also do not cause reduction in accuracy due to low ambient light. Firearms may also, or alternatively, be equipped with a scope, which may or may not magnify a small area in which a target may be present. Where a scope is employed, the user again adjusts the weapon so that he sees the target through the scope, and then shoots. Magnification of the shooting area assists the shooter to acquire his target from further range. Low ambient light may cause a scope to be difficult to use. Further, acquiring the target in the scope can be challenging in certain conditions and to novice users.

Hunting and target shooting have become great hobbies for many people. Hunters often go on trips to hunt specific game, and spend hours finding and acquiring hunting gear and firearms. Further, the thrill of the hunt is often something generations wish to pass to succeeding generations. Often a parent teaches his or her child how to shoot a firearm, including how to find and acquire a target.

Typically, the hunting parent assists his child in learning how to assemble, clean, and discharge the weapon. And, while it is not difficult to show the learner how to disassemble and reassemble a firearm, or how to adequately clean and store a rifle or other weapon, when it comes to acquiring a target through the weapon's site or scope, to a large degree, the learner is on his own. The best a parent can do is show the child how to hold the weapon and about where to look in order to aim, but he cannot see for or aim for the child. Trial and error—lots of trial and error—eventually produces a hunter who is able to hit his or her target. However, before that level of skill is acquired, some learning shooters become too frustrated to continue, or run out of patience before they have received the satisfaction that accompanies an accurate shot.

First time shooters and hunters typically have trouble accurately and efficiently using a scoped shooting device. Often, this inefficiency results in a missed opportunity or impedes target acquisition thereby denying the shooter a clean hit. When using a scoped shooting device in a treed and foliage-heavy area, acquiring the target in the scope can be tricky at best, and difficult for the novice hunter and/or shooter. In addition, some hunters have disadvantages such as impaired sight, or difficulty coordinating the gun's position with the target. These difficulties might be remedied if another person was able to assist in selecting the position of the weapon for acquisition of the target.

Although a variety of scopes and devices have been made available to aid in target acquisition (such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,841, 659; 5,941,006; and 6,604,316) none of these references teach or suggest means or method for a second person to aid a first person in the target acquisition process through a scope. The benefits and advantages of the present invention are not present in prior art inventions.

It is an objective of the present invention to provide an assembly allowing a second person to assist a first person to use a sight or scope to acquire a target;

It is another objective of the present invention to provide an assembly that may be simply retrofitted to a weapon having a preexisting scope;

It is still another objective of the present invention to provide a device that includes a scope offset from the preexisting scope (or other sighting device) on the weapon to allow the second person to see exactly what the first person sees through his scope;

It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a means by which a first person can assist the second person in locating and holding aim on the desired target;

It is another objective of the present invention to provide a means for a second person to assist a first person in acquiring a target which may be used by either a left handed or right handed shooter.

It is a final objective to provide a means which can be associated with the weapon in a variety of ways to associate lights, video cameras, etc., with the sighting device.

Additional advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention applies by reading this disclosure in conjunction with the drawings and the claims.

What was needed was a means for assisting the learner to acquire a target in the sight or scope of his weapon, and means for assisting a hunter with disabilities to accurately place the sights and the weapon relative to the desired target.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sighting assembly;

FIG. 2 is a front of the sighting assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the sighting assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the sighting assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the sighting assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a firearm having a scope;

FIG. 7 is an end view of the sighting assembly associated with a firearm;

FIG. 8 is a view of the sighting assembly associating with the scope on a firearm.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The off-set co-witness sighting assembly according to the present invention is depicted by FIG. 1 and is generally designated as reference 10. The firearm sighting assembly 10 includes a top portion 12, a body 14 having a surface 16, and a lower portion 18 having a base 20.

FIG. 7 shows the basic parts of a generic firearm 100 with which the invention 10 may be used. The generic firearm 100 includes a stock 102, a trigger mechanism 104, a barrel 106, and a preexisting scope 108 and a preexisting scope ring 110. It should be noted, however, that the preexisting scope may, instead, be iron sights.

Referring again to FIG. 1, 2 and to FIG. 4, the top portion 14 of the firearm sighting assembly 10 comprises an attachment means 30. The attachment means 30 comprises an element or a plurality of elements 32 a 32 b 32 c to allow the attachment means 30 to associate with and detachably attach a scope 125 (see FIG. 9). Said plurality of elements 32 a 32 b 32 c may include a picatinny rail system 32. As shown in FIGS. 1, 4, and 5 the bottom portion 18 of the firearm sighting assembly 10 comprises the base 20. The base 20 includes means to stably associate 22 the firearm sighting assembly 10 with a firearm 100.

The firearm sighting assembly may further comprise a scope ring 120 shown in FIG. 9. The scope ring 120 includes means to detachably associate a scope 125 which may or may not conform to a Weaver attachment. Where a scope ring 120 is included, the base 20 of the bottom portion 18 of the firearm assembly 10 and the means to associate the scope ring 125 each comprise means complementary for association with the other 22. Said means to associate 22 may be a Weaver base for easy association with the scope ring 120. Alternatively, the scope ring 120 and bottom portion 18 of the firearm assembly 10 may comprise other means of stably associating with each other, preferably in an arrangement that is easily detachable yet highly stable when associated.

The construction of the firearm assembly 10 may be of single piece construction. Alternatively, the bottom portion 18 body 14 and top portion 12 may all be of single piece construction. Referring now to FIG. 6, an upper surface 35 of attachment means 30 of the top portion 12 may be angled between about 30 and 60 degrees, preferably about 45 degrees relative to the body 14; the base 20 of the bottom portion 18 comprises a surface generally at a right angle to a surface 14 a of the body.

FIG. 9 shows the firearm assembly 10 associated with a generic firearm 100 (shown at FIG. 7). When mounted on the firearm 100, the firearm sighting assembly 10 will be oriented about 45 degrees off (to the right or left) of a plane A that bisects the barrel 100, the stock 106, and the preexisting scope 108. The firearm sighting assembly 10 may be associated by its base 20 with the preexisting scope or sight on the barrel 106 of the firearm and on about a 45 degree angle to the plane A. The scope ring 120 may be used to associate the base 20 of the firearm sighting assembly 10 with the firearm. Association of the base may include cap screws or Allen bolts or other attachment devices that may be tightened. In any event the firearm assembly 10 is arranged so that the attachment means 30 of the top portion 12 is oriented parallel with axis “A” of the barrel 106. A secondary scope 150 is associated with the attachment means 30 of the top portion 12.

Other embodiments of the firearm assembly 10 may include differing angles of the base relative to the body and corresponding differences of the angle of the upper surface 35 of the attachment means 30 to the surface of the body 14, where such variations still result in a nonmagnifying scope 150 off-set from the preexisting scope 108 or iron site on the firearm 100, wherein the off-set allows an observer to view the same target area as the shooter is viewing through the preexisting scope 108 or iron site.

The invention includes a method of installing and using the invention. Specifically, the shooter first sights in the preexisting scope or iron sight. A standard Weaver based scope ring 120 is placed on the scope/iron sight 108 at a 45 degree offset in either the left handed position(for a left handed shooter) or the right handed position (for a right handed shooter) and semi-tightened. The base 20 of the firearm assembly 10 is then inserted into the Weaver based 160 scope ring 120 and maintained at level during installation. A red dot nonmagnifying scope or other aim device 150 is then placed on the upper surface 35 of the attachment means 30 and secured thereto. Using a solid shooting rest, the shooter will place the weapon into the rest and find their targeted zero location. The red dot nonmagnifying scope or other aim device 150 is adjusted to identify the exact targeted location as the preexisting scope/sighting iron 108 on the weapon 100. The scope ring 120 and the base 20 are solidly associated by tightening screws or other attachment devices between the two.

Thereafter, when the shooter takes aim, the observer looks through the nonmagnifying scope 150 of the firearm assembly 10 and confirms whether the shooter has located and is properly aiming at the target. A magnifying scope may be used in place of the nonmagnifying scope if desired.

The height of the firearm assembly 10 relative to the gunbarrel 106 on which the firearm assembly is mounted may be adjusted by using a high or a low based Weaver style scope base 160.

Example embodiments of the invention have been described in an illustrative manner. It is to be understood that the terminology that has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. Many modifications variations of example embodiments are possible in light of the above teachings. Therefore, within the scope of the appended claims, the present invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described. 

What I claim is:
 1. A firearm sighting assembly comprising a sight mount having attachments means for orienting the sighting device in an offset position from a pre-existing sighting system mounted on a firearm.
 2. The firearm sighting assembly of claim 1 wherein the preexisting sighting system is an iron sight.
 3. The firearm sighting assembly of claim 1 wherein the preexisting sighting system is a scope.
 4. The firearm sighting assembly of claim 1 wherein said assembly further comprises a scope ring for mounting the assembly to said preexisting sighting system.
 5. The firearm sighting assembly of claim 4 further comprising a red-dot sighting device.
 6. The firearm sighting assembly of claim 4 further comprising a non-magnified sighting device.
 7. The firearm sighting assembly of claim 1 wherein said offset position is between about 30 degrees and about 60 degrees from the preexisting sighting system.
 8. The firearm sighting assembly of claim 7 wherein said sight mount comprises a top portion having an attachment means, a body, and a lower portion.
 9. The firearm sighting assembly of claim 8 further comprising a scope ring wherein said top portion comprises a picatinny rail attachment means compatible with a standard Weaver base.
 10. The firearm sighting assembly of claim 9, said assembly oriented about 45 degrees offset from said pre-existing sighting system.
 11. The firearm sighting assembly of claim 1 wherein said sight mount comprises single-piece construction.
 12. The firearm sighting assembly of claim 7, said assembly having a top portion comprising a picatinny rail attachment means angled to run level with a horizontal axis and off-set to said preexisting sighting system when said sighting assembly is associated with the firearm.
 13. A firearm sighting assembly comprising a top portion having an attachment means, a body, and a bottom portion comprising a Weaver style base.
 14. The firearm sighting assembly of claim 13 further comprising a scope ring.
 15. A method of using the firearm sighting assembly of claim 14 comprising associating the scope ring with a firearm having a barrel upon which is mounted a scope, and detachably attaching the bottom portion of the firearm sighting assembly to the scope ring.
 16. The method of claim 15 wherein said attachment means comprises a picatinny rail system and the method further comprises detachably connecting a non-magnified sighting device with the picatinny rail attachment means.
 17. The method of claim 15 wherein said said body of the firearm sighting assembly is oriented at about a 45 degree angle to a plane running through the barrel and the scope.
 18. The firearm sighting assembly of claim 15 wherein said bottom portion of the firearm assembly comprises an angle with the body causing said body and said top portion to extend from a plane running through the barrel and the scope at about a 45 degree angle.
 19. The firearm sighting assembly of claim 13 further comprising associating one of a scope, light, or video camera with said attachment means and associating the bottom portion with a Weaver attachment means on a firearm.
 20. The firearm sighting assembly of claim 9 wherein said bottom portion comprises a Weaver style base associated with said scope ring.
 21. A method of using the firearm sighting assembly of claim 14 comprising associating the scope ring with a firearm having a barrel, and detachably attaching the bottom portion of the firearm sighting assembly to the scope ring, positioning said firearm sighting assembly off-set from a generally horizontal plane running through the barrel between about 30 degrees and about 60 degrees. 